1. Field
The present application relates to a method and system for information control, and more particularly to a method and system for information control that can effectively perform an automatic payment for machine maintenance expenses.
2. Background
Many image forming devices, such as a laser printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, etc. are provided with a storage means for storing various kinds of job information mainly for maintenance purposes. The job information typically includes daily power-on hours, a cumulative number of prints performed, dates of installation relative to specific components requiring a periodic exchange such as toner, a photoconductive member, etc. Based on the job information, an image forming apparatus usually calculates a remaining life length of each specific component and determines if any one of the specific components needs to be exchanged due to an end of its life. If the machine determines that a specific component needs to be exchanged, this will be indicated to the user who will then take a necessary action; exchanging the component by the user alone or contacting a repair center to ask for service.
Office equipment technology increasingly takes into account concerns for natural resource savings and recycling. Published Japanese Unexamined patent application, Ser. No. 09-120249, relating to a recycling of a process cartridge used in an image forming apparatus is one example. This application, Ser. No. 09-120249, describes an image forming apparatus which includes a process cartridge having a storage for storing recycling information relative to the process cartridge. The process cartridge of this image forming apparatus further includes a connection connecting to the above storage, a detection for detecting the recycling information, and a power supply unit. The image forming apparatus attempts to appropriately indicate to the user when to carry out a recycling of the process cartridge.
Recycling of the process cartridge involves procurement of a new process cartridge, shipping arrangement, user""s settlement of the fee for exchange, storage of the exchanged process cartridge until it is collected by a collection company, etc, in addition to actually replacing the cartridge. As these processes are ongoing, the user may place an order for consumable items such as toner, which will also involve processes similar to the above. As a result, this may require a complex system for a control center to handle a plurality of customers of image forming apparatuses.
The present application describes a novel image forming apparatus. In one example, a novel image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism, a process cartridge, a card inlet, and a controlling mechanism. The image forming mechanism is configured to perform an image forming operation for forming an image on a recording sheet. The process cartridge is configured to contain material used to visualize the image and is detachably installed in the apparatus. The card inlet is configured to receive an electronic money integrated circuit card. The card inlet includes a data input and output port for connecting the electronic money integrated circuit card when it is inserted in the card inlet, wherein the above electronic money integrated circuit card includes an integrated circuit chip dedicated for an electronic money application. The controlling mechanism is configured to control the image forming operation performed by the image forming mechanism, includes an integrated circuit chip dedicated for the electronic money application, and is capable of communicating for monetary information with the electronic money integrated circuit card via the data input and output ports.
The present application further describes another novel image forming apparatus. In one example, another novel image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism, a process cartridge, and a controlling mechanism. The image forming mechanism is configured to perform an image forming operation for forming an image on a recording sheet. The process cartridge is configured to contain material used to visualize the image and is detachably installed in the apparatus. The above process cartridge includes an electronic money application unit which includes an integrated circuit chip dedicated for an electronic money application. The controlling mechanism is configured to control the image forming operation performed by the image forming mechanism and includes an integrated circuit chip dedicated for the electronic money application. The above controlling mechanism is capable of communicating for monetary information with the integrated circuit chips dedicated for the electronic money application included in the process cartridge.
The electronic money application unit of the process cartridge may further include a data input and output port for electrically connecting to an electronic money integrated circuit card so that the electronic money application unit communicates for the monetary information with the electronic money integrated circuit card.
The monetary information handled by the electronic money application unit of the process cartridge may include property information for identifying the process cartridge.
The property information included in the monetary information may include a part number, a manufacturing number, and a price of the process cartridge.
The electronic money application unit of the process cartridge may further include a battery for allowing the electronic money application unit to communicate for the monetary information with the electronic money integrated circuit card via the data input and output ports.
The above-described image forming apparatus may further include a communication mechanism configured to perform communication for the monetary information using the integrated circuit chip dedicated for the electronic money application with an external host computer located at a remote control center.
The external host computer may store a data base holding history information for a plurality of image forming apparatuses.
The communication mechanism may perform the communications with the external host computer at each predetermined time of a day or on as-needed basis via a telephone network or via the Internet using Internet functions of E-main or a file transfer protocol.
The present application further describes a novel information control system. In one example, a novel information control system includes an image forming apparatus and an external host computer. The image forming apparatus includes a control unit, a data input and output port, a process cartridge, a memory, and a first communications mechanism. The control unit includes an integrated circuit chip dedicated for an electronic money application. The data input and output port is configured to exchange monetary information via the integrated circuit chip. The process cartridge includes an electronic money application unit including another integrated circuit chip dedicated for the electronic money application. The first communication mechanism is configured to perform communications for the monetary information. The external host computer is located at a remote control center and includes a data base and a second communications mechanism. The data base stores history information for a plurality of image recording apparatuses including the image forming apparatus. The second communications mechanism is configured to perform communications for the monetary information. In the above-described information control system, the image forming apparatus and the external host computer establish a communication connection with a specific address predetermined by the remote control center. The image forming apparatus generates configuration information of the image forming apparatus, stores it in the memory, and sends it to the host computer through the communication connection. The host computer generates a certified configuration information by adding a certification code to the configuration information sent from the image forming apparatus, stores it in the data base at the specific address, and sends the certified configuration information back to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus updates the configuration information with the certified configuration information received from the host computer after verification of it with the configuration information stored in the memory. The image forming apparatus sends a request for communications for the monetary information with the certified configuration information. The host computer approves the request for communications for the monetary information requested by the image forming apparatus by verifying the certified configuration information sent from the image forming apparatus with the certified configuration information stored in the data base.
The control unit may generate the configuration information using the integrated circuit chips installed in the control unit and the process cartridge.
The host computer may generate new certified configuration information each time it approves the request for communications requested by the image forming apparatus. In this case, the new certified configuration information generated is different from the one previously generated and the image forming apparatus updates the newly generated certified configuration information after the communications for the monetary information is completed.
The host computer may control the history information of the image forming apparatus in association with the newly generated certified configuration application and afterwards accepts the request for communications when receiving it with the newly generated certified configuration application from the image forming apparatus.
The history information may include apparatus history information including a cumulative number of prints performed, a cumulative amount of consumable items consumed, configuration of optional equipment, and errors that have occurred.
The history information may include customer history information including names of users and a cumulative number of prints performed per each user.
The present application further describes a novel information control method. One example, a novel information control method includes the steps of providing, placing, establishing, generating, storing, sending, creating, writing, transferring, updating, transmitting, and approving. The providing step provides an image forming apparatus which includes a control unit, a data input and output port, a process cartridge, a memory, and a first communication mechanism. The control unit includes an integrated circuit chip dedicated for an electronic money application. The data input and output port is configured to exchange monetary information via the integrated circuit chip. The process cartridge includes an electronic money application unit including another integrated circuit chip dedicated for the electronic money application. The first communication mechanism is configured to perform communications for the monetary information. The placing step places an external host computer located at a remote control center. Such an external host computer includes a data base and a second communications mechanism. The data base stores history information for a plurality of image recording apparatuses including the image forming apparatus. The second communications mechanism is configured to perform communications for the monetary information. The establishing step establishes a communication connection between the image forming apparatus and the external host computer establish with a specific address predetermined by the remote control center. The generating step generates configuration information of the image forming apparatus. The storing step stores the configuration information in the memory. The sending step sends the configuration information to the host computer through the communication connection. The creating step creates a certified configuration information by adding a certification code to the configuration information sent from the image forming apparatus. The writing step writes the certified configuration information in the data base at the specific address. The transferring step transfers the certified configuration information back to the image forming apparatus. The updating step updates the configuration information stored in the memory with the certified configuration information received from the host computer after verification with the configuration information stored in the memory. The transmitting step transmits a request for communications for the monetary information with the certified configuration information. The approving step approves the request for communications for the monetary information transmitted from the image forming apparatus by verifying the certified configuration information transferred from the image forming apparatus with the certified configuration information written in the data base.
The generating step may generate the configuration information using the integrated circuit chips mounted in the control unit and the process cartridge.
The above-described information control method may further include steps of generating new certified configuration information each time the approving step approves the request for communications transmitted from the image forming apparatus. In this case, the certified configuration information newly generated is different from the one previously generated. Further, the above-described information control method may update the newly generated certified configuration information after the communications for the monetary information is completed.